Sandberg & Francis Score In Texas

Brett Sandberg picked up a victory in Sunday's Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car class event at Circuit of the Americas. (Mark Weber/SCCA Photo)

Brett Sandberg picked up a victory in Sunday’s Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car class event at Circuit of the Americas. (Mark Weber/SCCA Photo)

AUSTIN, Texas – Brett Sandberg and Ernie Francis Jr. scored wins in round three of the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car and Touring Car B-Spec championships at Circuit of The Americas Sunday, part of the series’ Cadillac Sports Car Challenge weekend.

Sandberg, in the No. 70 Ultimate Racing/HPD Honda Civic Si, took home his first Pirelli World Challenge win, pulling out a 5.663-second lead over teammate Ryan Winchester, of Mason City, Iowa. , in the race that averaged 76.908 mph around the 2.3-mile, 20-turn National road course. Sandberg led the second-consecutive all-Compass360 podium in 2013.

“It feels awesome to get the first win,” Sandberg said. “I’ve been in the series a few years now and I’ve been struggling quite a bit. I finally got together with these Compass360 guys and I think we’re in for a good season.

“Traffic was a lot better than yesterday. The TCB guys showed a lot of respect to us today, considering they need to keep that momentum up. I got lucky a few instances in traffic and I was able to get a gap. The car was great from the beginning to the end. If anything, the car got better and better as the race went on. I was really impressed with the guys. They did a great job with the car.

“This is the second-straight day that Compass360 swept the podium and it’s just awesome. I know it means a lot to [team principle] Karl [Thompson]. He’s done it in other series and to be a part of it here is really an honor.”

Saturday’s double winner, Winchester, in the No. 72 Ultimate Racing/HPD Honda Civic Si, got around his teammate, Remo Ruscitti, on the penultimate lap of the 23-lap, 52.9-mile race. Winchester felt fortunate for the finish, struggling with handling issues throughout the race

“I got a pretty decent start and I got inside of [Sandberg] going into Turn One,” Winchester said. “I thought I might get him there, but when I didn’t, I knew that was probably my best chance. We missed it a little bit on the setup today. The rear end was too stuck to the track and I had to lift in places where yesterday, I was flat. That costs you time. He [Sandberg} drove a great race and didn’t make any mistakes.

“I was basically settling for third. I don’t know what happened to Remo there. Something happened on the front straight and I got by him. It’s a great weekend for us—two wins and a second and we’ll get out of here with the points lead. But, I’d like to win all of these if I could.”

Following the pass, Ruscitti, in the No. 71 Ultimate Racing/HPD Honda Civic Si, pushed hard to get back around his teammate on the white flag lap, but settled for third, completing the second-consecutive Compass360 podium of the weekend.

“Great result for us in our first weekend in Pirelli World Challenge,” Ruscitti said. “It was a little frustrating when I was getting into the traffic, with some of the cars not letting me by. It was a great race between me and Ryan [Winchester] at the end. We were going two-wide through the shortcut section, which you really shouldn’t be able to do. Overall a good result for the team.”

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